Recently the tethered float breakwater (TFB) concept has received a good deal of attention. Tethered float breakwaters operate on the principle that hundreds or even thousands of floats held at or slightly below the water's surface and arranged in a matrix can dissipate the effects of surface wave action. Scientists, by observing the period of the waves etc. can design individual tethered floats to have a period corresponding to the period of the waves. Simple pendulum theory is relied upon to give designers the necessary parameters for the length of the tether and the buoyancy of the floats to produce the desired period.
As a result of observing several prototypes it became apparent that one problem kept reappearing. Where the tether was terminated or anchored on a ballast the tethers would become fatigued and part. A critical bending radius where the tether was anchored on the ballast could not be exceeded or there was failure at this point. One attempt at remedying this problem employed a few links of chain connecting the tether to an anchor. However, after a short period of time the chain showed objectionable levels of wear and the arrangement would separate after only a relatively short period of time. The design life of a TFB is expected to be in the nature of five years. Studies have shown that during this five year period the tether termination must withstand over 19 million cycles of flexure as the float oscillates about its vertical axis. This oscillation can be as great as 17.degree. from the vertical axis by a float having a three to four thousand pound buoyancy. Rigid shackle arrangements as well as the chain linkage mentioned above simply would wear through after only a fraction of the 19 million plus duty cycles. In addition, the shackles and chains reacted adversely to the corrosive marine environment. Thus, there is a continuing need in the state of the art for a tether termination having a duty cycle exceeding millions of oscillations and which is not reactive to the corrosive marine environment.